Dilenschneider
Robert Dilenschneider

There are so many of our fellow Americans to whom we owe thanks:

• The 2 million men and women who serve on Active Duty or in the Reserves of our Armed Forces, as well as the 430,000 National Guard members in the 50 states.

• The police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and other first responders who are on duty 24/7 protecting us.

• The doctors, nurses and countless other medical workers who treat us when we need preventive care and tend to us when we are ill or injured.

• The dedicated school teachers who help prepare the nation's young people for the future.

• The thousands upon thousands of volunteers across our nation who give of their time, money and energy to help those in need.

And that is only a partial list of all the dedicated, hardworking people who make America the secure and thriving nation that it is.

Some fascinating facts about this special day:

• It all began in 1621 when William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth Colony, invited the Pilgrims' Native American allies to join them in giving thanks for a successful first harvest. The 90 Wampanoags brought so much food that the celebration was extended to three days.

• We know that among the Pilgrims at that ceremony were 22 men and at least 25 children, but only four, or possibly five women because so many female passengers had died during the crossing.

• The date, or even month, of the first Thanksgiving was not recorded. President Lincoln decided to make it a national holiday held in late November at the urging of Sarah Josepha Hale, author of the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb, who argued that such a celebration would help pull the country back together in the wake of the Civil War.

• It was one century ago, in 1924, that Macy’s staged New York's first Thanksgiving Day Parade. New York was not alone in holding such an event that year, however — so did Detroit. Philadelphia is ahead of everyone, though. It held the nation's first Thanksgiving Parade in 1920.

• The first college football game played on Thanksgiving was in 1876 with Yale edging out Princeton, 2-0. The first such NFL game was in 1920 with the Akron Pros beating the Canton Bulldogs 7-0.

We have so much to be grateful for on this day. As we celebrate, let us remember all those who have made it possible for us to celebrate our Thanksgivings in security and freedom.

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Robert L. Dilenschneider is the Founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, an international communications firm.